


say my name

by tornlinson



Series: frostiron 5+1 ficlets [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: 5 Times, 5+1 Things, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Coffee Addict Tony Stark, Human Loki (Marvel), M/M, Starbucks, Tony Stark Does What He Wants, loki's absolutely done with tony's antics, natasha is also done with tony's antics, tony is an idiot, tony's so desperate it's cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-11
Updated: 2019-06-11
Packaged: 2020-05-01 17:21:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19182340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tornlinson/pseuds/tornlinson
Summary: “I’m sorry?” He says finally, looking up at the man who suddenly looks very pleased with himself.“My name is Loki,” the man repeats, “You need my name, don’t you?”“You said it was Frank. Yesterday,” is all Loki says, but his eyes are narrowing in suspicion.“Did I?” The man asks, tilting his head as he frowns, looking away. The man was doing a horrible job at pretending he didn’t know what Loki was talking about.or, five times Tony doesn't tell his name to the cute barista at Starbucks and one time he does (but the barista doesn't believe him)





	say my name

**Author's Note:**

> Wey hey, look at me procrastinating on all my other responsibilities and incomplete works by writing another fic. It is now 4AM and I have lost the concept of time and sleep, but hey, priorities - amirite?

**one**

Loki’s day is ruined approximately an hour into his shift.

The man had walked in so casually, strutting in as if he owned the entire café – hell, as if he owned the _entire Starbucks chain_. Loki was immediately ticked off by the red tinted glasses that was too flashy; the way he held his chin up with a stature that was too short to for him to actually look so confident in himself as he scanned the rest of the café. By the time the man’s gaze reached him, Loki had successfully wiped the judgmental expression from his face and was staring straight at the computer screen.

Natasha appears beside him and places two drinks on the counter, snapping Loki out of his staring contest with the computer screen. He barely has time to say anything before she disappears again.

“Zara!” Loki calls out, eyes searching for the raven haired girl who he remembered had given the order. A female head pops up from one of the tables, meets Loki’s eyes, and starts making her way to the counter. “Cheers,” she says, smiling in thanks when she takes the drinks from his hands and goes to join her friend. He had almost forgotten about the man from before, when said man shows up right in front of him. He has a funny looking beard, Loki decides. 

“Hey,” He says, eyes landing on Loki for a brief moment before his attention is on the menu that was displayed on the screen above the counter.

“Good morning,” Lok greets, mustering up a false smile. “What would y– “ His question is very rudely interrupted as the man rattles of his order, not even glancing at Loki while his eyes stay fixed on the menu. Irritation flares up inside him, but it’s his job, so he takes down the order anyways.

“Got it,” He says tightly, and looks up from the screen at the man who apparently seemed to think the menu deserved every bit of his attention. “May I have your name?” The man finally snaps his gaze towards him, rich brown eyes twinkling under the glare of the menu screen. One side of his mouth lifts into an amused smile, and he gives his name.

“Hugh,” He says, takes a pause, and adds. “Last name, Jaz.”

“Okay,” Loki nods, scribbling Hugh Jaz on the cup and putting it aside. Hugh gives a five dollar note, and Loki returns the change with the receipt. “Please wait a few minutes.”

Hugh shrugs, and stands aside so the person behind him can give their order. Natasha arrives a few seconds later, takes Hugh’s cup and his order before disappearing, again. Loki doesn’t miss the way Hugh’s gaze trails after her. _Typical._

He’d just taken the order for the next customer when Natasha placed Hugh’s order on the counter, only to look around and realize that the man had disappeared.

“Hugh Jaz!” Loki yells, and a few amused faces turn to look his way. He immediately pales once he realizes what he just said.  _How stupid of him to fall for the age-old trick_. There’s a snort from behind him, probably Nat. A furious blush races to his cheeks from embarrassment and he turns to his computer screen – burning holes in them. Seconds later, from the corner of his eyes, he sees Hugh approach the counter. Loki doesn’t even have to look up to figure out that there’s probably a shit-eating grin on his face.

“Thanks bud,” comes Hugh’s voice, and Loki is still too flustered – mostly angry – to look at Hugh, or _whatever his name is._ When Loki doesn’t respond, Hugh takes the drink and only when Loki’s sure that he’s left, does he look back up again. There’s twenty dollars on the counter where the drink was kept.

Shamelessly, Loki takes it.

 

***

**two**

The next day, again, an hour into his shift, the same man walks in. Loki’s still glaring at him when the man’s gaze settles on him. What he believed to be his best deadly glare doesn’t prevent the man from breaking into a smile and quickening his pace towards Loki.

“Good morning, can I take your –“

“Yeah, I’ll have the usual.” The man replies, smiling and cutting him off as usual. Loki doesn’t even refer to him as Hugh anymore, because he’s spent an entire day thinking about the stunt the man pulled on him, and there was absolutely zero possibility that his name was actually Hugh. And besides, ‘the _usual’?_ He’s come here _once_. If he thought Loki actually bothered to remember his order from twenty four hours ago – well, okay maybe he does remember, but the conceited asshole doesn’t have to know that.

“I’m sorry, I’m afraid I don’t remember you. Could you repeat it for me?” Loki tries to look as innocent as he could, doe eyes blinking in pretence. The man does a double take, clearly surprised that Loki not only forgot his order, but even forgot _him._

“Uh, yeah…” The man says, eyes narrowing slightly before he looks up at the menu. He takes his time, and eventually gives his order – which was definitely not the one from yesterday. Loki couldn’t point that out without giving himself away so he just nods, taking it down.

“And your name?” Loki looks up again, the marker poised over the cup. The same smile from yesterday forms across the mans face, and Loki doesn’t like it one bit.

“Frank,” The man says, and Loki’s just about to start writing it when the man adds, “with an L.”

“I’m sorry?”

“It’s Frank,” The man repeats, slowly, as if spelling it out for a five year old, “with an L.”

There’s a pause as Loki just raises a confused eyebrow at the slightly amused man. Loki then shrugs, shields the cup away from the guy as he writes _Flank_ on it.

Nat comes to take the order a few minutes later, her expression shifting slightly to something Loki couldn’t decipher when she saw the man.

“This for him?” She asks, holding out the empty cup with _Flank_ written across it, as she motions to the man who was busy tapping on his phone, completely immersed in it to even hear the judgmental tone in her voice. 

“Yeah,” Loki nods, gaze flicking to the man before settling on Nat who's already walking away. 

“Flank,” he hears Nat's voice from her retreating figure. “Nice.”

She brings the drink a few minutes later, doesn’t even say anything before she walks away from him.

“Flank,” Loki calls out to the man – not loudly, because he’s right there, back leaning against the counter.

“ _Flank,”_ Louder this time, more impatient, and the man finally turns. There’s a strange look on his face. “Did you just call me Flank?”

“Yeah, that _is_ your name, is it not? You said Frank with an L, and – Sorry, did I get it wrong?” Loki immediately cuts off his own sentence with an apology, only because the man’s expression turned even stranger.

“No, no,” the man waves it off, taking the drink from Loki’s hands. His fingers lightly graze against Loki’s as he does so. “It’s Flank.” A pause, and then. “Actually no, it’s not. It’s Frank, but the L is silent.”

“ _Silent?_ What – Then how was it even important?” Loki blurts out, only realizing a little too late that it could cost him a customer. “Sorry. I meant –“

“I mean, you _did_ ask for my name.” The guy replies lamely, completely skipping over Loki’s apology by interrupting him.

“Yeah, I did.” Loki says; stares. The customer behind Flank – Frank, _whatever_ – coughs, and the man immediately apologises, stepping out of the way. He gives a small wave before he leaves, and Loki turns to the next customer.

 

***

**three**

The third day, the man walks in through the doors, skipping his scan of the café and immediately settling his gaze on Loki. Loki was just giving out a drink to another customer when the man had walked in. The customer says their thanks, leaves, and their space is immediately filled by a grinning Frank.

“Morning,” He says, before Loki could even open his mouth to say the same. “I’ll have the usual.”

“I’m afraid you’ll have to elaborate, sir. You’ve ordered two different drinks the past two days.”

“ _Ha_!” The man snaps – _literally,_ he brought his fingers up and actually _snapped_ – and his mouth forms into a cheeky, proud grin. “I knew you were lying yesterday when you said you didn’t remember me.”

Loki tries to act like he wasn’t just caught red-handed in a lie, so he responds in the most impassive tone he could muster. “I supposed I should flip a coin and choose your order, then.”

The man clearly not expecting that, is slightly taken aback. The grin is wiped off his face in a second. “Yeah…” He says slowly, regains his composure and continues. “Yeah. Do that. Name’s Loki, by the way.”

Loki very nearly drops the cup he just took in his hands.

“I’m sorry?” He says finally, looking up at the man who suddenly looks very pleased with himself.

“My name is Loki,” the man repeats, “You need my name, don’t you?”

“You said it was Frank. Yesterday,” is all Loki says, but his eyes are narrowing in suspicion.

“Did I?” The man asks, tilting his head as he frowns, looking away. The man was doing a horrible job at pretending he didn’t know what Loki was talking about. Loki didn’t even have his nametag on, so it was highly unlikely for the man to know that Loki was _his_ name, but it was also too coincidental that his name be Loki too.

Loki chooses a drink at random – neither of the two that the man had ordered – writes Low-key across the cup and keeps it aside. He watches as Nat comes by to pick up the cup and reads the name eloquently scrawled across it; glances at Loki, then the man who’s staring at her with a face of pure innocence, and leaves with a playful roll of her eyes.

“So, you come here often?” The man asks after a few minutes of silence, and honestly, Loki could not have heard a worse conversation starter. He stares at the man for a moment, wondering how to answer it in the nicest way he knew.

“No, not really,” Loki says, looking away, “I only work here every _day_.” It earns a laugh from the man, and Loki turns to look at him. His eyes seemed to be shining, skin crinkling at the corners. The laugh that transition into a smile revealed a nice row of teeth framed by _really_ pink lips – was he wearing lipstick? A warm feeling grew in Loki’s chest at the sight of the smiling man – it was the first genuine reaction he had seen from him. He probably ended up staring for too long, because it was only Nat placing the drink on the counter a little louder than usual that made Loki snap back into reality. The man had noticed it too, obviously, evident through the amused smirk pulling at his lips.

“Here’s your drink,” Loki says, handing it to him.

“Aren’t you g’nna say my name?”

“You’re literally right here.” Loki states, stretching his hand further towards the guy, who _literally_ leans back from Loki’s outstretched arm.

“You’re supposed to say my name,” The man presses, avoiding the drink that’s right in front of him.

A sigh, and then: “Loki.”

The man grins and takes the drink in his hand. Their fingers graze again. Loki watches as the man reads the writing on the cup, and his grin only widens in a way that shouldn’t be possible. The man takes a sip out of the cup, and Loki isn’t sure if he realized the drink is neither of the two that he had ordered, or that he just chose to not comment on it, because the man says a bright “thanks!” and leaves.

 

***

**four**

For some reason, the day was crowded – which was why Loki was extremely pleased to see the man standing in line and waiting impatiently for several minutes until it was his turn to order. Once he’s finally at the front, he doesn’t bother with a greeting, and neither does Loki, but the man simply smiles when he says, ‘ I’ll have the usual.’

Loki decides to give him another random drink of his own choice, and also chooses not to comment when the man gives his name as Voldemort.

Eventually, choosing against the awkward silence between them, he ends up asking anyway.

“A little too old for Harry Potter, are you not?” Loki comments, side-eyeing him.

“You talk funny,” the man says instead. “Why don’t you just say ‘aren’t you’ like a normal person?”

“Well, you look funny. You don’t see me complaining.” Loki responds immediately, not wanting to give the man a satisfaction of hesitance. “Your beard is ridiculous.”

“You’re complaining right now,” he points out, raising his eyebrows before his hands protectively reach up to cradle his chin, expression transitioning to a look of mock offense. “And _hey,_ I’ll have you know my beard is a trending look.”

Nat reaches beside Loki, lips pursed in annoyance as her eyes land on the man. She’s holding his drink in her hands. Loki’s about to take it, but she’s beat him to it, stretching the drink towards the man herself.

“Your drink, sir. And if you’ll please,” She motions to the exit. “You’re holding up the queue.”

There’s a small frown creasing the mans forehead, but he reaches and gingerly takes the drink from her hands. Loki wants to laugh at how cautious he looks, as if Nat would throw the hot drink in his face or something of the sort. He casts an unsure smile at Loki, before turning and exiting the café.

“Thank you, Nat.” Loki says, not really meaning it, and there’s a glare shot in his direction. “…asha.”

 

***

**five**

The next day is… odd, to say the least. There’s not a single customer. Starbucks is _empty_. Loki had spent the last ten minutes just staring at the empty café, wondering if he was imagining things – because, how is this even possible? – when Nat comes and stands beside him. She’s looking straight at the empty tables and chairs when she speaks.

“Someone’s reserved the café till noon,” she says, and Loki wonders how she knows because their shifts literally started at the same time and Loki has never seen Natasha talk to anyone since they arrived. “We’ve been paid triple the profits of an entire day just for a few hours of no customers. Apparently, there’s a coffee date.”

“Huh,” is all Loki says, because that’s the fucking _weirdest_ thing he’s ever heard. Who rents out _Starbucks_ for a few hours? That too, for a coffee date?

The couple comes in around fifteen minutes later – a tall, strawberry blonde dressed in a light formal shirt, paired with a black pencil skirt, walking alongside a slightly plump man in a black suit. They looked like they belonged anywhere else but a Starbucks for a coffee date. Loki watches as they head straight to one of the tables, each of them casting a curious glance in Loki’s direction. It was almost comical, the way they seemed as if they were taking turns looking at him, but it made Loki feel self-conscious, because he wasn’t sure if they were waiting for him to go up to them and take their order. He’s still wondering what he should do, when the same man from the past four days walks in. Literally, just _strolls_ in like he has been for the past few days. He gives a quick glance in the direction of the couple, but other than that, he doesn’t seem the least bit fazed that the café is empty.

“I’ll take the us –“

“ _How did you get in here?”_ Loki’s whisper comes out as a sharp hiss, and the way the man frowns in confusion at the completely random outburst almost threatened a smile from Loki’s mouth.

“I… walked?”

“I meant, we’ve been rented till noon. For that couple over there,” Loki motions with his head to the pair who suddenly looks deep in conversation. “Customers haven’t been allowed to enter since my shift started.”

“Wow,” the man says, “that’s odd.” A beat, and then: “Anyway, I’ll take the usual.”

Loki doesn’t want to show his surprise at the ease of which the man just dismissed the situation before them, so he looks down at the screen, choosing a random drink from the menu. He’s just about to ask for the name when the man beats him to it.

“Name’s Happy.”

“Happy… like the feeling?” Loki asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah,” the man nods, and a fond expression washes over his face. “Exactly that.”

“Are you ever going to tell me your real name?” He writes _Happy_ on the cup, trying not to let his impatience show, but really, it’s been _five_ days, and the man was actually fun to talk to. It would be nice to put a name to the very, _completely_ average face that Loki had absolutely _no interest_ in seeing more often than a few minutes a day.

The man pretends to think, doing a horrible job at that too, and then, finally says: “Nope.”

Loki sighs in defeat, turns around to call for Natasha when he realizes she’s been standing there the entire time – a few feet away, leaning against one of the work counters with her arms folded across her chest. He’s at a loss for words, but Natasha doesn’t let his awkward fumbling last, because there’s a slight curve of her lips when she takes the cup and the order receipt from Loki and heads back to make it.

“She’s a little scary,” Loki says softly, leaning forward as if he was sharing a secret.

“I’ve noticed,” the man laughed, resting his folded arms over the counter, “Natasha, right?”

“Yeah,” Loki nods, “I’ve tried calling her Nat, but – wait. How’d you know?”

“Know what?” The man asks, and his eyes widen ever so slightly in realization. “ _Oh._ Her name.”

Loki nods in encouragement.

“You’ve told me.”

“I’ve never mentioned her to anyone.”

“Uh, probably one of the customers here told me.”

“I’ve never seen you talk to anyone here. Except for me, that is.”

“…She told me?”

Loki raises an eyebrow. He watches as the mans gaze flicker around, probably trying to think of something that could be passed off as a valid excuse, but his eyes finally land on Loki’s impatient ones, and he sighs in resignation.

“I asked around, okay? That’s how I knew your name was Loki.”

“That’s a little…” _Creepy,_ he wants to say, but honestly he’s a little impressed. “… unfair, don’t you think? You knowing my name, and me not knowing yours?”

The other man’s about to open his mouth to respond, when his eyes land on the approaching presence of Natasha.

“Drink for Happy,” She mutters, placing the drink on the counter. Loki doesn’t miss the wary look she gives the man before she walks away.

“Guess I’ll take my leave then,” he says, taking the drink in his hands. He glances back at the couple who were still deep in conversation, but Loki swears he saw the female nod at Tony.

“Guess you will,” Loki responds, eyeing the female and missing the ‘Bye’ that the man had said before he left.

The couple left a few minutes later, nodding at Loki with a grateful smile before they got out. They hadn’t even ordered anything.

 

***

**+one**

Loki was just giving out a drink to the customer when the man had entered, which was why he hadn’t immediately noticed his presence. Loki smiles at the young man as he leaves, eyes following him before it immediately flicks over to the other person by the entrance. It was the same man, but he looks _different_ , like a _rich_ different. He’s wearing the same red tinted sunglasses that he wore on the first day, but he’s also wearing what looks to be a really expensive suit. His hair looks extremely well-styled, a complete contrast against the fluffy mess that Loki had been seeing the past few days.

“Hey, Lokes.” The man greets, oblivious to the several glances cast in his direction. Loki tries to ignore the warmth feeling that ignited within him because of the nickname.

“Let me guess,” Loki starts, already choosing a random drink from the menu, “the usual?”

“Yep, and make it out to Tony Stark, would ya?” He says, and Loki looks at him with an amused look on his face. The man has a strange expression on his face.

“Impersonating celebrities now?” Loki raises and eyebrow, and the man shrugs. “Gotta say,” Loki’s eyes travel to the man’s outfit, “you really worked on the role today.”

“I do my best,” the man says, grinning as if he knows something Loki doesn’t. Natasha comes as soon as Loki’s finished writing _Tony Stark_ on the cup. She sees the name, looks at the man, then at Loki, and an actual _smile_ forms on her face.

“What?” Loki asks, because it was really time to get worried if Natasha does something that resembles a smile.

“Nothing, just an odd choice of name,” is all she says as she goes to prepare the drink. Loki looks back at the man, who just looked at the entrance right after an impatient glance at his watch. His lips are pursed, and Loki could identify the slight movement in his body to be the cause of a foot tapping against the floor.

“What’s the hurry?” Loki asks, hiding any sign of curiosity laced in his voice. The man snaps his head back to Loki, as if suddenly remembering he was there. There’s a small smile on his face as soon his eyes land on Loki.

“Oh yeah, I just have a meeting to attend. Really big. Important.” He cranes his neck to see where Natasha is, checks his watch, and starts talking again. “Sorry, how long –“

“ _Tony_! You’re gonna be _late_!” A voice cuts across their conversation, and both their heads snap to the source of the voice. Loki identifies the source as the man who booked the café yesterday, along with the other woman. Also, wait – _Tony?_ He shifts his gaze to the man in what can only be called dramatically slow, and would’ve been entirely comical to a third person. The man – _Tony –_ looks like a deer caught in the headlights as he just stares at the other man. The other man, who’s saying words like ‘New York,’ and ‘traffic’ and ‘Stark Industries’ and ‘meeting’ and 'flirting' and eventually Loki just loses all sense of surroundings when realization hits him like a fucking _train._

 _No wonder_ he walked in on the first day looking like he owned the place, he’s _Tony Stark._ He probably has countless shares with the company.

 _No wonder_ he knew Loki’s and Natasha’s name, he probably has access to Starbucks databases _himself._

 _No wonder_ the café was booked yesterday. He probably just wanted an excuse to spend more time without holding the queue, and conveniently used the guy who’s suddenly lecturing Tony like a child as means of an excuse.

It was suddenly quiet now, Loki realized. The other man was gone, but Tony was still there. Still _here_. Loki could do nothing but stare.

“Should’ve known you’d figure out sooner or later,” Tony starts sheepishly, looking extremely guilty. “Pretty sure Natasha knew the minute she saw me. Frankly I’m surprised she didn’t tell you.”

Natasha decides that it’s the right moment to bring Tony’s drink. From the way her posture tensed, she’s probably just figured out that Loki’s just figured out, but Loki has no time to dwell on that.

“You’re Tony Stark,” Loki says, confirming Natasha’s guess and at the same time trying to come to terms with it himself.

“Yeah, Lokes, congrats.” A quick glance at his watch. “Listen, I’m going to be murdered in cold blood if I don’t attend this meeting. Your shift gets over at five, right? It does, I already knew that. Sorry. We’ll go for dinner. I’ll pick you up at five. Sounds good?” A pause, and he answers it himself. “Yeah, sounds good.” 

He nearly spills his drink in his rush to take it from the counter, and he’s gone in a blur. Loki turns to look at Natasha.

“You _knew?!”_

She shrugs.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I absolutely loved writing this, ahhhh.  
> Also, please tell me if I've made any mistakes, I'd hate to dampen the whole flow of the fic :(


End file.
